Beowulf, the great masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon literature, was orally passed from generation to generation by North European peoples. The highly artistic, action-filled narrative is replete with Christian theology entangled with pagan mythology, testifying to the great upheavals that occurred in northern civilizations as the poem took form during the early Middle Ages. The poem contains a valuable record of customs and values from a harsh and heroic time. It embodies the message: "Do your utmost. A good name, a glorified example, and fame after death are all you can win in this world. It is the courage to strive - not success which ultimately reveals and ennobles the true hero." The author of Beowulf is unknown. The work might have been composed by a poet working at court, or it could have been composed by a poet-monk. It is conjectured that the author was probably familiar with court life, a Christian who addressed himself to a royal audience. In the story of Beowulf, he exemplifies many characteristics of an epic hero. The story is told from his youth to his adult life. Throughout these two phases Beowulf is proving his heroism to himself and the people around him. The three main virtues that made Beowulf an epic hero were how he was true to his word, made his father proud, and was brave. These are the main virtues, but there are also many other characteristics that Beowulf possessed that qualify him as an epic hero.
             Beowulf stays true to his word throughout the entire poem. When he first hears the word that there is trouble in Denmark, he immediately gets a few of his men together and sails to Denmark to help them. King Hrothgar had built a mead hall, he called it Heoret. Once he built this mead hall, every night the men would drink and sing into the late hours. The loud noises anger an evil demon named Grendel, who lives in the swamps on Hrothgar's kingdom. The demon has a short temper and terrorizes the Danes every ...